Modern Legends
Though the fact of the legends of old is now in question, their legacy lives on in a thriving market emerging for books and serialized fiction. Men and women escape from the increasingly oppressive veil of civilized life with tales of fantasy and adventure. Naturally, there are more stories than any one man could read, even if they were so inclined, but those listed here have permeated the public consciousness thoroughly enough that most people can be expected to know the gist of them. __TOC__ =Novels= Singular works of fiction released in bound books, not so long ago these were restricted to the elite but increasingly find themselves in the hands of the common man. ''Beyond the Veil'' Auroras begin to appear at every latitude, dazzling commoners and confounding scholars. Finally, massive spherical airships emerge from within them and rain destruction upon every nation of Cyona. Eventually the would be conquerors fall due to an incompatibility between their native magical field and that of Cyona. ''A Gilded Cage'' Depicts a misleadingly glorious future in which the world is united under the benevolent rule of an organization known as Karrghan. As the story progresses layers of the system are pulled back to reveal increasingly unfriendly practices, leading to a small rebellion and culminating in a meeting with Karrghan's leader and the quashing of all dissent. Banned in Eyvind for it's unflattering portrayal of their prophets. ''The Last Sword Bearer'' A speculative book exploring the impact of the Sword Bearer returning to Thrish, the story follows the young Bearer as he come to terms with the new world and his place in it, all the while wandering the land and doing good. Banned within Thrish for what the priesthood considers a blasphemous portrayal of the Bearer, it is nevertheless a popular book there. ''Mighty RoR'' An exceedingly jingoistic story chronicling the adventures of a battalion of ludicrously skilled soldiers in a hypothetical war between the Republic of Rudlec and Thrish. Held as high art by RoR nationalists, most of the world and a fair chunk of Rudlec considers it a cruel joke. ''Running A War'' The much better received satire of militaristic works running along the lines of Mighty RoR, the book follows the cowardly Sgt Tramorn Farstrider as he attempts to avoid combat at all costs but continually stumbles into glory. ''Saliari'' The dark tale of the titular alchemist who invents a method for eternal life. Freed from the constraints of mortality and growing disdainful of the short lived fools he lives among, he embarks on a series of increasingly mad and sociopathic crimes. Too late he discovers that his new vitality comes with certain caveats and is bricked into a crypt by a mob. ''A Tale of Ünderland'' A group of children find themselves lost in a strange world below Cyona's surface. Governed by esoteric rules and populated by seeming madmen, they must navigate the bizarre world they find themselves in to return home. ''The Test of Time'' A dramatic retelling of the myths surrounding the first Purdren dynasty, from it's rise to the fall of the Immortal Emperor Wiuri. Later chapters extend over later eras, telling Wiuri's tale as he chases the demigod responsible for his fall from grace. The translation is surprisingly popular in Rudlec. ''Wendigo'' A Dismal doctor is called to the northern provinces to deal with a rash of unusual deaths in a gnomish village. As the death toll rises, the villager's talk of ancient curses seems to become more credible until the Wendigo finally reveals itself. Intent upon stealing the doctor's form and entering the fertile hunting grounds of the Deep Homes, a final confrontation is made with ambiguous results. =Collections= Groups of stories, whether produced by one author or merely inspired by one and written by many, within a shared universe. 'Koth Rising' Delving into the oldest of myths and religions for source material, these stories chronicle the return of gods and monsters beyond mortal knowing. Typically depicts a bleak world where civilization is merely a brief reprieve between periods of maddening strife wrought by gods and worse. ''Broken Concord'' The best known tale and generally regarded as the originator of the mythos, it tells of a professor and his discovery of a broken artifact hidden in the depths of a Rudlican temple. His tracing of it's origins lead him far into the northern reaches of Dismark, where he stumbles across and is eventually killed in an obscene ritual. ''Book of Disp'' A scholar of magic discovers an ancient tome purporting to have been the journal of Disp, himself. At first his readings grant him ever greater insights into the nature of the world, making him a great mage rivaling the legends of old. Obsessed and driven to read ever deeper, his insights soon take a turn for the darker. Finally, he is found awake but unresponsive, the final revelation too much for his mind to bear. ''Lady in White'' The perspective of a clerk as a beguiling lady enters the higher social circles of a town. Soon everyone seems to be dancing to her ever more bizarre whims until the story culminates in the town's willing sacrifice. The Lady makes her way merrily to the next town to begin her work anew. 'Professor Vanegin' The adventures of the titular professor and his colleagues as they use their various fantastical inventions to explore the world and generally get into trouble. ''Adrift on the Planes'' Vanegin tests his latest creation, a craft unbounded by planar constraints. Unfortunately, the control mechanism breaks and he is forced drift aimlessly until repairs can be made. ''The Boundless Sky'' Vanegin is captured by the nefarious but sophisticated Captain Astrid, who's advanced airship allows him to soar high above any other and devastate Rudlican trade routes at his leisure. ''The Marvelous Groundship'' Vanegin and company attempt to prove the titular Groundship superior to air travel by beating an Ixan airship around the world, shaving off time by tunneling straight from one checkpoint to the next instead of following the curvature of Cyona. Along the way they encounter various subterranean fauna and conquer sabotage attempts. =Serials= Either single stories or numerous tales published in parts over the course of weeks or months. Typically carried in newspapers or magazines, these are considered less serious than 'proper' novels but have a wide audience. ''The Bleeding Stone'' The old myth holds that the thousands of statues of Purdre are run down golems crafted in the first dynasty. This series of short stories explores the repercussions of the statues reawakening in a world they were never meant for. Covers a number of genres, from horror to the more fantastical. ''The Gentleman's Club This series follows the adventures of five gentlemen invested with power from mysterious benefactors as they track down and destroy various fell powers. While it uses a number of elements analogous to those in the ''Koth Rising mythos, it is generally lighter and more optimistic, painting a world where mortals stand a chance against the impending destruction. ''Sarechal Bolt'' The archetypal Dismarkian hero, Bolt travels the world, thwarting criminals with his immense strength and devastating intellect. Generally exciting, but of little substance.